Barnaby Joyce joins PM's attack on Bill Shorten

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has weighed in on the stoush between Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten, saying the opposition leader "couldn't run a pie shop".

Mr Joyce lambasted Mr Shorten's comments in parliament and accused him of creating class warfare after he attacked the PM's wealth and referred to him as "Mr Harbourside Mansion".

"And as I’ve said before, if I’m going to have a choice between someone running the country with the arse out of their pants who’s never made a buck or someone who has made a dollar, got ahead - remember Mr Turnbull owns a nice stack on the harbour because he’s worked very hard and been successful," the deputy prime minister told ABC's AM.

"We had to put up with Mr Shorten coming out and he knows what he’s doing, he’s creating this class warfare, calling Mr Turnbull Mr Harbourside Mansion. He’s completely and utterly incompetent. He couldn’t run a pie shop and the thought of him running the country fills me with dread."

During the interview Mr Joyce labelled the opposition leader a hypocrite because of his relationship with businessmen Solomon Lew and Richard Pratt.

"Have a good look at yourself. You might be leader of the Labor party but you look like you’ve never done a day’s labour in your life," Mr Joyce said.

Yesterday the prime minister launched a scathing attack against Mr Shorten and called him social-climbing sycophant and parasite.

"There was never a union leader in Melbourne that tucked his knees under more billionaire's tables," he said.

The heated exchange was prompted by a Labor motion condemning Mr Turnbull for "being so out of touch that his hopelessly divided government punishes family, pensioners, carers and new mums while giving $50 billion handout to business and big banks".